Government Documents

Zach S. Henderson Library is one of 1,174 Federal Depository Libraries (FDLs). The library also serves as repository for Georgia state publications, along with UGA and Valdosta State University. As a member of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), Henderson Library hosts a large collection of the publications of the United States government, including statistics, reports, legislation and policy from the federal government. The library receives a copy of all Georgia state publications received for distribution.

To find government documents, search the library catalog, GALILEO Interconnected Libraries (GIL). Search widgets are also available in the library’s research guides (LibGuides) under Research Help (from the Library’s homepage).

This depository collection, which may be considered “a library within a library,” is a valuable resource for the academic community and for the general public throughout the Georgia Southern University service region, which is the 12th Congressional District of Georgia.

The Government Documents Librarian provides assistance with state and federal government resources to Georgia Southern faculty, staff, and students as well as the general public.

The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government’s information. GPO administers the FDLP on behalf of the participating libraries and the public. Information products from the Federal Government are disseminated to these nationwide libraries that, in turn, ensure the American public has free access to the materials, either in print or online.

Finding Government Documents

Using the Collection
From early Congressional documents to current issues such as sustainability, foreign policy, and health issues, the government documents collection offers a wealth of information on almost any conceivable topic. These are often excellent primary sources, and many contain research date and expert findings not available elsewhere, so don’t forget them when researching for your papers or projects! Most of the print resources may be checked out.

Physical LocationMost print (hard copy) government publications are available for browsing on the first floor. Use the catalog (currently known as GIL) to find the document you want, note the number and the location.

Virtual Location
Many state and federal government documents are available in the library catalog, GALILEO Interconnected Libraries (GIL). For assistance locating or accessing these resources, ask at the Information Desk on the second floor.

Call numbers / Subjects
Federal government documents are shelved using the Superintendent of Documents (Sudoc) classification system. This is a provenance system, meaning that rather than a topical arrangement, items are shelved by authoring agency or committee.

State documents are also shelved by a provenance system, although their arrangement is different from the SuDoc system.

Hours: The print collection is available any time the library is open. Service for the Federal and State Documents collection by the Government Documents staff is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:​30 p.m. by calling (912) 478-5​032, or by asking at the Information Desk (912 478-5645). During nights and weekends, requests should be made at the Information Desk or by Instant Messaging.

Walk-in questions are welcome when the librarian is available. Ask for assistance at the Information Desk. If the librarian there is unable to assist, he or she will refer you to Lori Gwinett. Email is the best means of contact. You may also call (912) 478-5032.

Federal Documents Repository

Zach S. Henderson Library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. government documents. Public access to the government documents collection is guaranteed by public law. (Title 44 United States Code) The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) helps safeguard one of our nation’s strongest traditions: the public’s right to know. Since its establishment in 1813, the FDLP has collected, organized, and preserved information produced by the government and assisted citizens in finding and using that information. Georgia Southern has been a depository library since 1939 and currently receives 76% of federal materials in the FDLP program, and 100% of Georgia documents.

Helpful Tools for finding Federal government information

Catalog of U. S. Government Publications – Online index to publications of Federal agencies, most of which are available through the Federal Depository Library Program; contains records from July, 1976 and is updated daily

FDsys.gov – One mission of the GPO is to provide, in partnership with the Federal depository libraries, perpetual, free, and ready public access to the print and digital publications of the Government. FDsys will allow Federal content creators to easily create and submit content which will then be preserved, authenticated, managed and delivered upon request. FDsys enables GPO to manage government publications from Congress and Federal agencies that are submitted to GPO in digital form, gathered from Federal Government Web sites, and created by scanning previously printed publications. Through FDsys, GPO is utilizing new technologies and methods for acquiring, authenticating, preserving, and providing access to government publications in digital form.

Federal Depository Library Program – Access to Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) resources and services, including resources about the program, depository management, the FDLP Electronic Collection, locator tools and services, processing tools, publications, and a Depository Library Directory, which provides for the identification of Federal Depository Libraries by state and area code

USA.gov – Provides trusted, timely, valuable government information and services when and where you want them through a comprehensive, award-winning portal. USA.gov is an interagency initiative administered by the Federal Citizen Information Center, a division of the U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies. It got its start when Internet entrepreneur Eric Brewer, whose early research was funded by the Department of Defense, offered to donate a powerful search engine to government. That gift helped accelerate the government’s earlier work to create a government-wide portal. USA.gov was legislatively mandated through Section 204 of the E-Government Act of 2002. Since 2002, USA.gov has received an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress. In January 2007, FirstGov.gov officially changed its name to USA.gov.

Library of Congress – Includes the Library of Congress Online Catalog, collections, and research services

Thomas – Legislative Information on the Internet – Full-text of Congressional bills, Congressional Record and index, Bill Summary and Status, Hot Legislation, the Constitution of the United States, How Our Laws Are Made, Enactment of a Law, and other House of Representatives and Senate resources

Congress.gov – The beta version of the site contains legislation from the 107th Congress (2001) to the present, member profiles from the 93rd Congress (1973) to the present, and some member profiles from the 80th through the 92nd Congresses (1947 to 1972). Congress.gov is in an initial beta phase with plans to transform the Library of Congress’s existing congressional information system into a modern, durable and user-friendly resource. Eventually, it will incorporate all of the information available onTHOMAS.gov. (To compare the scope of legislative information on THOMAS.gov versus the scope of legislative information on the beta site, see Coverage Dates for Legislative Information.) Although THOMAS.gov has been updated multiple times since its release in 1995, the foundation of the system can no longer support the capabilities today’s users have come to expect. The goal is to make the site user-friendly with a strong technical infrastructure.

Georgia Documents Repository

Zach S. Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University became an official selective depository of Georgia state publications in 2000. State agencies are required by legislative act to supply the University of Georgia Libraries with five copies of all their publications (O.C.G.A. 20-5-2(f)). Henderson Library’s responsibility is housing and making publicly available one of these five copies of the state documents received under Georgia law. Other libraries that house these materials include the University of Georgia and Valdosta State University. Georgia documents published since 1994 are available in Georgia Government Publications through GALILEO.

Georgia Government Publications (GGP) provides a comprehensive repository of state publications 1994 to the present, and project participants are actively scanning documents printed before 1994 to provide researchers with a valuable source for online historical research.

Open Georgia is a gateway for obtaining information and key documents about how the State of Georgia spends tax dollars and other revenues to provide services to Georgians. The information maintained on this site comes from various state agencies and is updated annually.

State and Local Government on the Net provides convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments. The drop-down menus on the left allow viewing of directory pages by state or by topic.